Plyometric Exercises For Speed And Explosiveness In Football
Written By: Gridiron Elite Training
Plyometric Exercises For Speed And Explosiveness In Football
Written By: Gridiron Elite Training
Plyometric Exercises for Football Players
Plyometric exercises for football players are one of the most productive ways to increase your vertical jump, speed, and reactive strength.
Reactive strength is one of the top critical measures of testing football players’ athleticism. It shows an athlete’s ability to quickly change from an eccentric to a concentric contraction and their ability to develop max forces in the shortest amount of time.
When you work on increasing your reactive strength, you will run faster and move quicker with more power.
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Plyometric Exercises for Football Players
When you perform an explosive movement on the field, like tackling, cutting, or sprinting, it will benefit you to start incorporating plyometric exercises into your workout routine 1-2 times per week.
Football players need the ability to tackle, run fast, or jump for the ball. Football players are elite athletes who are in control of their bodies and have an outstanding balance.
That’s why elite football players include plyometric exercises in their workout training programs.
Benefits of Plyometric Exercises For Speed
A plyometric workout is for every football player. Below are some of the main benefits that result from performing a plyometric workout.
- Increase strength and speed — Plyometric movements increase your speed and strength. Plyometric exercises for speed and strength increase your ability to rapidly contract your muscles after they have been partially stretched; in other words, the stretch-shortening cycle.
- Increased Endurance — Plyometric exercises can be used to improve power and endurance. When your stamina is improved, your legs can go at a higher intensity for more extended periods.
- Helps to improve reaction time — Plyometric training uses the muscle’s stretch reflex mechanism to increase the nervous system’s reaction time, which results in increased force output.
- Bonus: You don’t need any equipment! You can get a workout in your backyard, the park, or in your basement.
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The Science Behind Plyometric Exercises For Football Players
A total of 30 college football players were taken and randomized into two groups (Group A – Sprint Training & Group B – Plyometric Training). The study was conducted for six weeks (12 sessions) with both Groups.
At the end of the sessions, the study showed plyometric training significantly improved vertical jump height, peak anaerobic power output, and 5-10-5 pro agility shuttle than just sprint training. Specifically, it was found that both sprint and plyometric training groups improved the 40-yard dash to a similar extent.
The results supported the hypothesis and concluded that there is a significant difference between the effects of sprint and plyometric training on anaerobic power & agility in college football players.
Top Plyometric Exercises for Football Players
Here are some of the best plyometric exercises to increase speed, explosiveness, and reactive strength.
Single-Leg Speed Line Jumps
Balance yourself on one foot and start jumping side to side over an imaginary line. Stay light on your foot and spend as little time on the ground as possible. Stay on the same leg for 10 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.
Modification: If you are struggling on one foot, perform this plyometric exercise on both feet and focus on moving quickly and spending as little time on the ground as possible.
Perform a total of 3 sets for 10 seconds on each leg.
Lunge Jumps
Start in a lunge position with your left leg back and right leg forward. Begin by jumping and switching your legs midair, so you land with your left leg forward and your right leg back into a lunge. Make sure to keep both knees at 90 degrees. Continue to perform the lunge jump while quickly exploding off the ground.
Perform 3 sets for 10 on each leg.
Tuck Jumps
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, explode up, and jump as high as you can, driving your knees to your chest. As you’re coming down, regain your balance, land softly on your toes, and immediately explode back up into a jump. Spend as little time on the ground as possible.
Perform 3 sets of 10 tuck jumps.
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Pop Up To Tuck Jump
This is one of my favorite explosive exercises for football players. Start kneeling on the floor with your knees caved slightly wider than your hips. Like performing a vertical jump, swing your arms back and explode them forward to Draw your arms back, then forcefully swing them forward to give you the momentum to jump off the ground and into a squat position and immediately fire off the ground into a tuck jump.
When doing this plyometric exercise, focus on engaging your glutes and core to help you produce more power.
Perform 3 sets of 5 pop up to tuck jumps.
Lateral Jump to Tuck Jump to Broad Jump
Here’s a fun plyometric exercise that teaches your body to change directions rapidly. Stand with feet hip-width apart. Slightly bend your knees and jump laterally as far as possible to the left. As soon as you land, quickly explode into a tuck jump. Once again, as soon as you land, explode as far as possible forward into a broad jump. Once you land, explode into a lateral jump to the right (switching direction from your first jump) and repeat until you perform 12 total jumps.
Perform 3 sets of 12 total jumps.
Triple Broad Jumps
For this triple jump plyometrics exercise, stand with your feet hip-width apart with your knees slightly bent. Swing your arms back and explode them forward while jumping forward as far as you can off both feet. You need to stick the landing and immediately spring into a second and third jump as far as possible.
Perform 4 sets, resting after each triple jump.
Plyometric Clap Push-Up
One of the best plyometric exercises for your upper body. Begin by getting in a push-up position. As you push up off the ground, explode your hands to leave the ground and clap before landing back on the floor.
Perform 3 sets of 8-12 push-ups.
Modification: Try practicing the plyometric push-up on your knees before getting into a push-up position.
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There are a lot of plyometric exercises you can do to help improve your explosiveness, speed, and power. Remember, you’re laying the foundation with your entire body to become an elite athlete.
Suppose you need more explosive workouts for football to do for your speed and agility training. In that case, you can read some of our latest posts on the “Plyo Box Workout – Football Explosive Training,” “Explosiveness Workout For Football With Resistance Bands,” and “Top Rated Jumps Ropes For Warming Up.“
Suppose you’re a serious football player looking to play at the next level. You can access our sports performance training programs, football drills, workouts, and the Gridiron Recruiting Center inside “The Gridiron Academy” to help you with your football recruiting.
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Gridiron Elite Training was started to help educate and provide football players with a community to receive proper training and guidance.
We created “The Gridiron Elite Academy” which is an online football performance network that provides football players of all levels with sports performance workout programs, football position-specific drills, mindset coaching, mental toughness training, recruiting guidance and help, and nutrition programs.
